Franklin County Times

Editor’s Note: Getting to know your candidate will be a weekly feature informing you about our local candidates leading to the November general election. This week’s featured candidates are seeking the local office of probate judge.

Connie Green won the Democratic nod for Franklin County probate judge in the spring primary election and will now face Republican candidate Barry Moore in the general election on Nov. 6.
Connie Green is a lifelong resident of Franklin County and she said she got a taste for what the probate judge has to do when her late husband, Mike Green, served as probate judge from 2000 to 2007.
Green said her devotion to Franklin County was a driving force behind her decision to run for election.
“My love for Franklin County and the citizens here are the reason I am seeking this office,” she said. “I want to continue to move Franklin County forward. With the help of all elected officials and the citizens of Franklin County, we can.”
Green said her many years of business experience will be an asset if she is elected to serve the county.
“I feel that the experience I have gained by working in the public sector for thirty-nine years has given me the ability to communicate and work with the people of Franklin County,” Green said. “I have been a successful businesswoman for over 37 years.  I am honest, hard working and dependable.
“Owning my own business is basically a small scale of running Franklin County. When things were slow I had to decide where to cut back and choose another source of revenue. As chairman of the commission, I will carry my experience and work ethic with me to the Probate Office.”
Green said she understands the importance of the position she would hold if elected and plans to serve the people of Franklin County to the best of her ability.
“The probate judge and commissioners are responsible for making all the decisions to run Franklin County and the people of this county deserve a good, honest government,” Green said. “Franklin County needs someone who will be honest and make unbiased decisions for what is best for Franklin County and our citizens.
“My success as a businesswoman has been the result of hard work and dedication and many public officials do not demonstrate this level of commitment. With this attitude in our courthouse, I feel that services to our citizens will increase while the cost of these services will decrease. Efficiency in county government is my goal.”
Green has several plans to move the county forward and industrial development is something that is at the top of her list.
“I plan to work with economic development professionals and industrial development board members to market the county’s industrial parks and spec buildings,” she said. “It is important to support local businesses and industry to help them grow and add new jobs.
“Hopefully with our proximity to Navistar in the Shoals area and the Toyota plant in Blue Springs, Miss., we will be able to get some suppliers in Franklin County.”
Green said she also understood the importance of other issues such as the condition of the county’s roads and support for other county agencies.
“Roads are a big issue in Franklin County and I plan to aggressively pursue all state and federal money that is available to improve the conditions of our roads,” Green said. “As for the various law enforcement agencies and fire departments across Franklin County, I plan to support funding so they will be able to operate efficiently and protect the law abiding citizens of our county and respond to fires and other emergencies in a timely manner.”
Green and her husband, Mike, were married for 35 years before he passed away in April of 2007. They had three children: the late Tina Green McNatt; Mike Green Jr., and his wife, Leslie; and Lisa Green Niedergeses and her husband, Frank. She also has four grandchildren: Michael Green, III, Shelby, Caroline and Joseph Niedergeses.
Green and her husband owned and operated Gas Mart West for 27 years. She currently owns and operates Connie’s Creations, a business she has had for the last 10 years. She attended Belgreen High School and is a member of New Friendship Baptist Church, Eastern Star, Franklin County Archives and the Franklin County Cattlemen’s Association.
“I promise to be honest, hard working and dependable,” she said. “I would greatly appreciate your vote and support.”
Current probate judge Barry Moore was appointed to the office in 2007 after former probate judge Mike Green passed away.
He has served the county for close to five years and said he made the decision to run for the office and continue to serve as probate judge because he is committed to seeing Franklin County grow.
“I am very interested in serving the people of the county by listening to their concerns and trying to resolve those issues when possible and it would be an honor to continue to serve all the citizens of Franklin County with dependability and accountability,” Moore said.
“I am seeking to continue serving in this capacity because I would like to have more time to finalize the projects that the County Commission has started that are not complete at this time.
“Due to the recent recession and shortage of funds, we have not been able to do all the things we would have liked to do, but I feel we have made improvements in spite of the poor economy.”
Moore said the projects and programs the County Commission was able to accomplish and implement this past term have been things that will be extremely beneficial to Franklin County and its citizens.
“We have accomplished getting a website set up along with an award-winning Geographical Information System that will be a great resource and asset,” he said.
“We have set up the office in Red Bay to sell business licenses as well as hunting and fishing licenses for the convenience of the citizens who live in the west end of the county. We set up a recycling program throughout the county, acquired some Community Development Block Grant funds for water, and we worked with federal and state officials to get funding for road and disaster issues.”
In addition to these accomplishments, under Moore’s leadership, Franklin County also received a prestigious award from the Alabama County Commission Association for their participation and efficiency during the 2010 census.
Moore said his past record of being committed to the needs of Franklin County, his experience in business and his experience for the past five years serving in the capacity of probate judge have more than prepared him to handle the job for another term.
“I have a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and I have 15 years of business management experience,” he said. “I have served in the Alabama National Guard for 23 years and served one year on active duty in Iraq.
“I understand how important this position is and I will continue to take it very seriously.
“As probate judge, I will make sure the office will provide friendly, fast service to customers. I will continue to make unbiased decisions within the statutes of the law to protect the rights and estates of the citizens of Franklin County.
“As chairman of the County Commission, I will continue working with the elected county commissioners to make Franklin County a better place to live and work. I will use conservative values, common sense principals and transparency in the county’s finances and I will be a good steward of the county’s business and record keeping.”
Moore said if he is elected, he hoped to see significant improvements in the county’s road system and in the area of economic development.
“I will continue to work with federal and state officials as well as with the Alabama County Commission Association in order to get funding for our road systems,” Moore said.
“I also plan to work with the education systems in regards to the career tech opportunities that are available to our young people. I believe this is a rich source of workforce development that is important to our area in terms of drawing in more industry because I know with the tough economic times we have, our current industries are the backbone of our community.
“I will continue working with school officials, economic development officials, mayors and city council members to ensure the needs of Franklin County are met. As a member of the Northwest Council of Local Governments, I will strive to work with other community leaders to help bring better opportunities to our citizens in our area.”
Moore is a lifelong resident of Franklin County. He graduated from Russellville High School in 1984 and attended Northwest-Shoals Community College for two years before transferring and graduating Cum Laude from the University of North Alabama with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Business Management in 1990.
He is a member of the Russellville Rotary Club and the American Legion. He is a board member of the Northwest Council of Local Governments, Bear Creek Development Authority and Franklin County Chamber of Commerce. He is also the quartermaster of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and he received the Friend Award from the S.P.A.N. Program.
He has been married to Deedra Seale Moore, who is a business education teacher at Russellville High School, for 19 years. They have one daughter, Ashton, who is 12, and they attend North Highlands Church of Christ. His parents are Lowell and Ann Moore.
“If elected I will be a dependable and diligent official and I will make it a priority to represent the working men and women of Franklin County,” Moore said. “Your vote and support on November 6 will be greatly appreciated.”